HLP
by Cosmyk Angel
Summary: Harry Potter disappeared from the Wizarding World the night James and Lily died. No one knows what became of the Potter's child until the day she shows up on Platform 9-3/4.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story.

A/N: I have changed this story line to my own liking. I love Severus Snape and decided I was going to make this story go just a bit different from the original story line.

Prologue

The dark-haired man cradled the body of the red-haired woman as he rocked back and forth, the tears on his face competing with the storm outside. The cries of the baby in the crib beside him were drowned out by his heart-wrenching sobs. "I'm so sorry, Lily. I never should have listened to him. It's all my fault. I should have listened to you years ago." He whispered, slowly becoming aware of the sobs of the baby in the crib beside him as his own subsided and anger joined the grief in his heart. He glanced over toward the crib and was instantly struck by the brilliant, tear-filled green eyes that looked back at him.

The child had tousled black hair that had a slight curl and seemed to stick out in all directions. He was forcefully reminded of James Potter. The nose was the same too, but the eyes and the little cupid-bow mouth were all Lily's. A bloody, lightning-bolt shaped wound marred the child's otherwise perfect face. Suddenly he knew what he had to do. Lily's child had to be protected at all costs. Once the death-eaters found out what had happened here, they would come for the baby and revenge.

He reached into the crib and lifted the wimpering child, grimacing as he realized the child's diaper was lying on the bottom of the crib in a soggy mass. "Shhh, shhhh," he crooned, "Uncle Severus has you, luv." With a crack, they apparated away.

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><p>AN: And so the plot thickens...

I know this lists the story as following the books, but I thought the scene from the movie where Snape is holding Lily and crying should have been in the book.


	2. Chapter 1

**HLP**

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_A/N: This is an AU fic. For all intent and purposes Gryffin Weasley is the male equivalent of Ginny. Same pairings as books, but with a twist._

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

_**Chapter 1:**_

Harriet approached the barrier carefully, the trolley with her trunk and the cage holding Hedwig, her large, white snowy owl, rattled quietly over the smooth floor of King's Cross. As she got closer, she could hear conversations going on around her.

One group of red-heads particularly caught her ear and she moved up to get a closer look. They were all pushing trolleys identical to hers except for the absence of cages on all but one trolley.

She could overhear the mother of the group as she got closer.

"Now you go first Patricia. I'm so proud that you made prefect this year." The woman gushed to a tall young woman with short red hair and glasses.

The girl nodded regally before leaning carefully against the pillar between platforms 9 and 10. Harriet watched in awe as the girl disappeared into the wall behind her. As she got closer, the woman turned to her remaining children.

"Frederica, Georgia, you two are next."

Harriet watched as two identical girls laughingly raced one another through the pillar. Two children still remained and as she looked, she realized that one of them was actually a boy. He was about an inch taller than his sister and did not have a trolley beside him. Just as she started to move closer, her vision was obscured by a pair of hands. Laughing she spun around and shrieked. "Dora! What are you doing here?" She gushed as she took in the tall young woman with purple hair.

Nymphadora Tonks smiled down at the black-haired girl. "I came to see you off. Mom was going to come, but Dad took her to a muggle theater the other day and now she has the muggle flu. As soon as I'm done here, I have to head to Auror training." They walked toward the pillar laughing, neither realizing they were drawing attention from the red heads around them.

"Ooh, look Gryf, it's a metamorphamagus." Rhonda breathed, pointing at Dora. The mother and son spun around to look at what Rhonda was pointing at.

"Rhonda, put your arm down, it is rude to point." Mrs. Weasley hissed and Rhonda flushed scarlet with embarrassment at the reprimand.

Gryff's eyes widened as he took in the two newcomers. The taller one was really cool looking with short, spiky purple hair, but it was the shorter one who immediately drew his interest. He had short curly black hair that fell to his shoulders and the most piercing emerald eyes he'd ever seen. On his forehead was a thin red lightning-bolt shaped scar. The boy was wearing black muggle jeans and a Spice Girls T-shirt, whatever that meant. Gryffin blushed as he realized the boy was staring back at him with equal curiosity.

Dora greeted them. "Mrs. Weasley, Rhonda, Gryffin, this is Harry Potter." She introduced. "She's starting Hogwarts this year."

Mrs. Weasley gasped. "James and Lily's son?" She asked.

Rhonda and Gryff moved closer, keen to hear more.

Harriet blushed, "um, not exactly. I'm their daughter."

Silence followed her statement. Mrs. Weasley's mouth opened and closed several times.

Finally, the girl with the trolley broke the silence. "Hi. I'm Rhonda Weasley; it's great to meet you. I really think we will be great friends. This is my first year too." She pumped Harriet's hand enthusiastically.

Tonks was bent over laughing. It was obvious she found the dumb-struck look on Mrs. Weasley's face utterly amusing.

Rhonda finally released Harriet's hand and Harriet turned to the boy.

"Hi, I'm Harry, you are?"

Gryf blushed and stammered his name, reaching out a shaky hand to carefully shake Harry's hand. Harriet jumped as she felt a small shock pass between them. Gryf blushed even redder and hid behind his mother. Rhonda jumped in again. "Don't worry about him, that's just Gryffin. The Potters have been his heroes for years."

A loud beeping sound interrupted them. Tonks looked down at her wristwatch. "Oh, blimey Harry, we'd better hurry, the train leaves in two minutes." With those words, Harry, Tonks and the rest of the Weasleys rushed through the barrier onto platform 93/4, all other thoughts forgotten for the moment.

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><p>AN: What do you think? Feedback appreciated. Anyone interested in becoming a Beta?

Will try to post as frequently as possible. I am attending UNI and homework often takes priority.


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

-Please note that anything in Italics is probably directly quoted from one of the books, I will try to site books and page numbers when I can.- ***Gender Changes will not be italicized as they are not part of the book. For example, if I change something from him to her or her to him I won't Italicize.

Chapter 2:

Harry glanced around the great hall in awe. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table next to Rhonda Weasley and several other new Gryffindors, including a bushy-haired boy named Herman Granger. Her eyes moved over the Head Table where the teachers sat. Her uncle, Toby was sitting at the table beside a strange, pale young man in a purple turban who was their new _Defense Against the Dark Arts_ teacher. As her eyes roamed over him, she felt a searing pain in her scar. She winced and her hand rose to the lightning bolt. The movement drew the eyes of her uncle who glanced at her and then suspiciously over at the turbaned man.

She felt more eyes on her and looked up at the head table. The Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore was staring at her as though trying to see into her skull. She snorted derisively. Let him try. She'd been taught by the best. No-one was getting into her head unless she let them.

_"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch._

_Malfoy smiled nastily._

_"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find — how about — up a tree?"_

_"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well._

_Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"_

_Harry grabbed _her_ broom._

_"No!" shouted _Herman_ Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move — you'll get us all into trouble."_

_Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in _her _ears. _She _mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up _she_ soared; air rushed through _her _hair, and _her_ robes whipped out behind _her_ — and in a rush of fierce joy _she_ realized _she'd_ found something _she _could do without being taught — this was easy, this was wonderful._

She_ pulled _her_ broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from _Rhonda_._

She_ turned _her_ broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in midair. Malfoy looked stunned._

_"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"_

_"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried._

_Harry knew, somehow, what to do. She leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping._

_"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called._

_The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy._

_"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground._

_Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. _She_ leaned forward and pointed _her_ broom handle down — next second _she_ was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball — wind whistled in _her_ ears, mingled with the screams of people watching — _she _stretched out _her_ hand — a foot from the ground _she_ caught it, just in time to pull _her_ broom straight, and _she_ toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in _her_ fist._

_"HARRY POTTER!"_

Her_ heart sank faster than _she'd_ just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them._

She_ got to _her_ feet, trembling._

_"Never — in all my time at Hogwarts —"_

_Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "— how dare you — might have broken your neck —"_

_"It wasn't _her_ fault, Professor —"_

_"Be quiet, Miss Patil —"_

_"But Malfoy —"_

_"That's enough, _Miss_ Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."_

_Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as _she_ left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. _She_ was going to be expelled, _she_ just knew it._

She_ wanted to say something to defend _herself_, but there seemed to be something wrong with _her_ voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at _her_; _she_ had to jog to keep up. Now _she'd_ done it. _She_ hadn't even lasted two weeks. _She'd_ be packing _her_ bags in ten minutes. What would the _Aunt Andromeda_ say when _she_ turned up on the doorstep?_

_Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to _her_._

_She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking _her_ to Dumbledore. _She_ thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps _she_ could be Hagrid's assistant. _Her_ stomach twisted as _she_ imagined it, watching Rhonda and the others becoming wizards, while _she _stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag._

_Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside._

_"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"_

_Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on _her_?_

_But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused._

_"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry._

_"In here."_

_Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard._

_"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two _kids_._

_"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood — I've found you a Seeker."_

It didn't take long for the news to spread all over Hogwarts. Soon everyone knew that Harry was not only the youngest seeker in a century, but the first female Gryffindor to ever hold that position. When the new Nimbus 2000 arrived at the table for her, she shot a glance at her Uncle, but he merely raised an inquiring eyebrow. If he hadn't sent it, who had? She wondered. She felt uneasy being stared at and speculated about and she actually felt relieved when Uncle – Erm, _Professor_ Snape docked points from Gryffindor for all the whispering that was going on during potions class. She nearly grinned when he gave her detention for attempting to help the bumbling Neville perfect his brewing technique.


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

-Please note that anything in Italics is probably directly quoted from one of the books, I will try to site books and page numbers when I can.- ***Gender Changes will not be italicized as they are not part of the book. For example, if I change something from him to her or her to him I won't Italicize.

A/N: Sorry all for the delay in posting. Life has gotten busy on me. Now that I am out of classes for the summer, I will try to post more frequently.

Chapter 3:

"_It's no wonder no one can stand _him_," _she_ said to Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "_he's_ a nightmare, honestly." _Rhonda's words were disrupted when she was jostled into Harry as a blur of curly brown hair rushed past them. Harry recognized the retreating figure as Herman Granger.

"That was quite rude, you know." Harry admonished. "He's probably only that way because he's trying to fit into our world. There is a lot of pureblood predjudice around. I think he's trying to show that he's just as good as any pureblood, he's just going about it the wrong way."

Rhonda's face turned scarlet with embarrassment. "I-I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. I should find him and apologize.

"Not now Rhonda, you can apologize later. Professor Snape will kill us if we're late to his class. I'm sure you will be able to apologize at dinner." Harry replied, grabbing Rhonda's arm and dragging her toward the entrance to the dungeons.  
>+ + +<p>

Harriet was just lifting a bit of baked potato to her mouth when Professor Quirrel came running into the hall as though the hounds of hell were on his tail. _"Troll — in the dungeons — thought you ought to know." _He gasped out just before collapsing to the floor in a dead faint.

How the hell did a troll get into the school? Harriet wondered as the prefects began to lead the students back to the dormitories. They were halfway back to the dorm when she realized Herman wasn't there.

"Where's Herman?" she asked with concern.

"I saw him in one of the unused classrooms on the third floor," Neville replied quietly. "His eyes were red. I think he's been crying."

Harry and Rhonda looked at each other with concern. "He doesn't know about the troll," they gasped, racing back down the stairs before Percy could stop them.

They were panting and out of breath when they reached the third floor. The door to several classrooms had been smashed in, the rooms destroyed. They could hear the troll roaring to their right and Herman's shouting. They rushed toward the sound and charged into the boys lavatory. Both girls skidded to a sudden stop at the sight of the huge troll, smashing through the stall doors.

Herman slid under one of the doors just as the troll bashed it away with his enormous club. "Run Herman!" Rhonda shouted, brandishing her wand even as her hand shook. Herman came running towards her, terror suffusing his features. Harry, who'd circled around behind the troll, jumped on its back. "Run, I'll distract it." She shouted, whipping out her wand. She pointed it at the troll – "BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"

The troll crashed to the floor, Harry toppling down with it. She watched in slow motion as the giant club came toward her head. "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" Rhonda shouted. The club stopped its free fall, hovering in midair just as the teachers came rushing into the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded professor McGonagall in a stern voice. Hariett could see Professors Snape and Flitwick in the background. "What are the three of you doing out of your dorms, and how did you manage to subdue a full grown mountain troll?" she took in the inert form of the troll and the hovering club. Herman stepped forward.

"It's my fault Ma'am. I'd read about trolls and thought I could handle it. When Rhonda and Harriet noticed I wasn't with the others they came looking for me. I'd probably be dead now if it wasn't for their quick thinking." His face was scarlet. Harriet and Rhonda looked at each other in shock. They'd never heard Herman tell a lie before and the fact that He'd told one to protect them really impressed them.

"Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor house for your rash behavior, Mister Granger." McGonagall turned to the girls. "However, I am awarding you each fifty points for loyalty and bravery in defense of a friend." Harriet and Rhonda smiled at each other until Professor Snape cut in. "I will be deducting ten points each though for ignoring the instructions of the Headmaster whose only purpose in ordering students to the dorms was to save their lives." He glared down at the three children. Harriet could feel the gentle touch against her mind and opened her shields to let him view the events that had happened that night.

Harry sat fidgeting in Dumbledore's office. She'd been called there ostensibly to give him her take on the night's events. She'd been sitting for at least ten minutes before he entered the room. "Ah, Harriet, lemon drop?" He held out a bowl in offering and she gingerly took one, popping it into her mouth. She felt it lightly tingle against her tongue as she sucked on it. Dumbledore silently watched her, his eyes twinkling.

"Now, Miss Potter, I'd like the truth of tonight's events." He stated. "Why don't you start with how the troll was really knocked out."

She opened her mouth to tell him the story that Herman had devised which skimmed fairly close to the truth. The real truth spilled out. She told him about Rhonda's comments about Herman and about hearing that Herman was still in the bathroom. Harriet could feel her mind screaming as the whole story spilled out. She saw Dumbledore's eyes flash as she admitted to using an advanced spell to knock out the troll.

"And how did you know such an advanced spell?" He asked, leaning forward intently.

"Uncle Toby taught me." She replied, heedless of the warning screaming in her head.

"And who is Uncle Toby?" The question was like a trigger. She could feel the change in her immediately.

"Uncle Toby is my guardian. He raised me after my parents died."

"I know that child. What is his last name? Where does he hail from?" She could feel him probing at her mind again and was thankful for the strong shields that were in place.

"His last name is King," she lied. We've lived in Greenwich for as long as I can remember, that is all I know." She could feel him probing harder and decided to put a stop to it.

"No offense, Headmaster, but I'd appreciate it if you would stop attempting to read my thoughts. Without my consent it is not only immoral, but illegal too, not to mention against school by-laws except in emergency situations." She suppressed a smug smile at the shocked look in Dumbledore's eyes.

"Did your Uncle Toby teach you this?" He asked.

"No, sir," she lied again. "Uncle Toby is a Muggle. His cousin Ted taught me. He's a wizard who works as a Muggle News Reporter."

"How did you come to live with your Uncle Toby?"

"After Voldemort killed my parents, I appeared on Uncle Toby's doorstep. He's a distant relative of my mother and she had a muggle will stating I was to be placed in his care if anything should happen to her or my father." She looked at the headmaster quizzically. "Why do you ask?"

"You disappeared the night your parents died. No one knew what had happened to you or if you were even still alive. We don't know who took you from your parents' home that night or why you weren't brought to me. I promised your parents I would see that you were cared for if anything should happen to them."

"I'm fine where I am. No one has ever bothered me at Uncle Toby's and The Tonkses look in on me from time to time and have always stepped in to deal with any accidental magic." Harry yawned widely, feigning exhaustion. "I've answered all your questions, sir, may I return to my dorm? I'm afraid I'm quite tired." _And,_ she thought, _I need to send a copy of this to Uncle Toby so he knows what is going on._

"Very well, child, you are dismissed."

Dumbledore sighed, clearly disappointed that he would not get any further information out of her. He knew she couldn't be lying. The veritaserum that was mixed with the lemon drops assured him she was being completely truthful.

Author's Note: I'm back. Now that I have moved, I will try to keep up with this story more. As we go further into the story, we will veer more and more from canon dialog as I don't want to follow the books too closely. We will mostly stick with Harriet's viewpoint, but will occasionally delve into someone else's viewpoint to further flesh out characters that were never given much character in the series.

Cosmyk


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

-Please note that anything in Italics is probably directly quoted from one of the books, I will try to site books and page numbers when I can.-

***Gender Changes will not be italicized as they are not part of the book. For example, if I change something from him to her or her to him I won't italicize. Also please keep in mind that the further we go into the series, the less dialogue I will use from the books. After all, Harry is a girl and is going to say and react to some things differently than she would if she were a boy.

Chapter 4:

"I think something weird is going on in this school," Herman whispered to Harry and Rhonda as they sat working on their potions essays in the Gryffindor Common Room. "Eh, what's that?" Rhonda asked, glancing up from the scratched and scribbled parchment in front of her. Herman eyed the parchment with a look of disgust and a sigh. He knew he was going to have to re-do it before Rhonda turned it in. Realizing they were waiting expectantly for him to get to the point, Herman focused on the topic at hand.

"Well, so many strange things are happening in this school. The troll, the 3-headed dog," he ticked off, referring to the dog they had encountered in the third-floor corridor while trying to outrun Mrs. Norris. "There is also the fact that Harry's broom was jinxed in the first Quidditch match, and then there was something I overheard Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall talking about the other day." He smiled as he realized he now had both girls' undivided attention.

"Go on," Harry said.

"I think they are all connected. I heard Professor McGonagall tell Professor Snape that it was dangerous to hide something so important in a school and that she thought Professor Dumbledore should talk to Mr. Flamel about destroying it. I never did get to hear what it was that is hidden in the school, but Professor Snape seemed to agree that hiding it here was a bad idea," Herman explained.

"So," Rhonda concluded, "whatever it is they are hiding in the school belongs to a Mr. Flamel and is very important."

"Flamel, Flamel, why does that name seem so familiar?" Harry mumbled. She knew the answer was right in front of her, she just couldn't see it.

"I don't know, it seems familiar to me too," Herman whispered. "I know I've read about a Flamel before. I can't remember his first name, but he was someone important."

Harry sighed. "Well, I don't have time to research him right now, I have two feet of parchment due to Professor Snape I have to get finished tonight. We all do."

"Right. Mine's already done," Herman replied, "I finished it last weekend." He reached for Rhonda's essay. "Here, let me see that."

Harriet rolled her eyes. Rhonda was never going to learn how to do it if Herman kept doing it for her, but Herman didn't have the patience to teach and so often re-wrote it or coached her on how to re-write it. She looked down at her own nearly finished essay. She had been surprised on the first day of class at the methods her uncle used to teach his potions classes, but had since come to realize that attention to instructions and details was tantamount to creating a good potion. That is why her uncle never coddled any of his students. She did think he should be more patient and explain things a bit more simply to some people, like the Longbottom boy, but she wasn't about tell him how to teach his class. She had taken to helping her friends outside of class when they had questions, though. She scribbled down a few more details about how doxy eggs were used in potions before rolling up the parchment and setting it aside.

The search for Flamel was forgotten about for a while as quidditch and lessons began to take precedence in preparation for the Winter Holiday. Harry and Rhonda were both staying behind this year for Christmas as Rhonda's parents had decided to visit their elder daughter, Charlene in Romania. Harry was staying behind because Professor Snape was elected as a supposedly unattached teacher to stay behind and supervise the students who remained at school over the holidays. Harry used the excuse to her friends and teachers that Uncle Toby had to go to America on business over the holidays so she would have to stay at Hogwarts.

It was Christmas Eve before the subject of Mr. Flamel came up again.

"How are we going to get into the Restricted Section to look up Mr. Flamel?" Rhonda asked.

"I don't know. We don't dare ask Professor McGonagall, she'd want to know why we wanted the restricted section and she'd watch us like a hawk for the rest of the year," Harry replied.

"Yeah, and if we try to sneak in there, either Madame Pince or Filch is likely to catch us," Rhonda's voice was despondent.

"We'll just have to hope that Herman finds something."

"Yeah," Rhonda switched off the light. "G'night, Harry."

"Night."

"Wake up Harriet, we've got presents." Rhonda's enthusiastic shriek had Harriet burying her head under her pillow.

"Rhonda, it's too early!"

"It's never too early for presents; come on, get up." Rhonda whipped the blankets off the bed and Harriet shivered in the cool air.

"Fine, I'm up." She brushed ebony strands from her face and grabbed her glasses. Her eyes widened. "Blimey, I've never had so many presents before."

There were several packages piled at the foot of her bed instead of the three she normally got. She grabbed the first one and ripped it open enthusiastically. Inside was a soft green sweater with a large gold 'H' on the front.

"I see mom sent you a Weasley Sweater." Rhonda held up a similar sweater in Gryffindor Colors with a large orange 'R' on the front.

"Wow. Your mom's great." Harriet grinned, pulling the sweater over her head. It was a little baggy, but very soft and warm. She reached out for the next present. It was hard and book shaped. Rhonda glanced at it. "What do you want to bet that's from Herman?"

"No deal. It's from my cousin, Dora." She ripped the paper off. Inside was a small but thick book titled "Defensive Spells for Beginners by Milly Bones – Pocket Edition." She rolled her eyes and tossed the book on the bed. Her cousin Dora had just entered the Auror training program and was obsessive about safety. Harriet turned her attention to the next package which was thin and oddly shaped. She pulled it open and gasped. Out fell a cloak made of silvery material and a letter. She opened the letter first.

"Your father left this in my care. Use it well." It was unsigned. Harry put it on over her shoulders and gasped. "Rhonda."

Rhonda turned and looked at Harry who was standing in front of the mirror. Her entire body save for her head had disappeared. "Blimey, I know what that is, that's an invisibility cloak. Who sent you an invisibility cloak?"

"I don't know. Here's the letter." She handed it to Rhonda.

"Merlin," Rhonda breathed out.

There was another box of magical sweets from the Tonkses and a book on Animagus transformations from Uncle Toby that was disguised to look like a book about muggle wildlife. The last gift was from Herman, but it looked too big to be a book. She ripped it open. Out tumbled a muggle Christmas card and a box of Chocolate Frogs. She turned to see Rhonda holding an identical box. Both girls squealed "CHOCOLATE!" and dove in. It wasn't until Harriet opened package and the chocolate frog card fell out that it hit her. "Flamel, Nicholas Flamel."

"Huh?" Rhonda grunted, her mouth full of chocolate.

Harry picked up the card. It was another Albus Dumbledore card. "Here it is, I knew I'd read about Flamel somewhere," She cleared her throat.

"Considered by many to be the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of Dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling."

"Alchemy? Is that where they turn lead into gold?" Rhonda's interest was piqued.

"The original goal was to find the secret to eternal youth. Now we know what section to look in."

"If it isn't there, you can always sneak down with your cloak and check the restricted section."

"Hey, that's true isn't it?" Harry grinned. "Happy Christmas Rhonda."

"Happy Christmas Harry."

A/N: Thank you to all of my loyal readers. Questions, comments, suggestions and helpful feedback are all welcome. I hope this helps explain how they got involved in the search for Nicholas Flamel without Harry having gone to her vault with Hagrid.


	6. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

Well, it looks like has been messing with the formatting again, I can no longer get italics or separation marks, so if it looks like a quote from the book and sounds like a quote from the book, it probably is a quote from the book. I will try to update later with book and page information if anyone wants it.

I will keep experimenting with separation marks, hopefully there will be a way to mark a change of scene.

Please, if you see any glaring grammar errors, please let me know so I can correct them.

-Cosmyk

Chapter 5:

Harriet tiptoed into the library on silent feet, alert for any sound that could be Filch or Madam Pince. Carefully she made her way towards the restricted section. Books on Alchemy were located beside the entrance to the restricted section. Reaching her destination, she slid the lantern out from under her invisibility cloak and stepped closer to the shelves.

Harry goggled at the hundreds of books on alchemy that covered the wall in front of her. The shelf before her was so tall the top of it disappeared into the darkness above. She looked around the library and noticed that each section of shelves had a ladder. She assumed there was some magic that could be used to move the ladder to the area you wanted, but she didn't know the spell.

Glancing at the titles nearest her, she realized the shelves were arranged in alphabetical order and if the title "Potions for turning Lead into Gold, and Other Such Nonsense" by Stefan Scheptik was in the right place, she would have to go up. She set the lantern on the floor and walked quietly over to the nearest ladder. With a loud grunt, she began slowly tugging it back to the alchemy section, walking backwards as she pulled it. Harriet took another step back and suddenly there was a loud *Rreeeoww!*

She jumped, and realized she must have stepped on Mrs. Norris' tail. That meant Filch couldn't be far behind. She pulled the hood of her invisibility cloak over her head and took off out of the library, knocking over the lantern in her haste. She winced at the sound of broken glass, but was thankful that all of the lanterns were spelled to go out if they tipped over. She didn't want to be responsible for a fire in the library. With a shudder at the thought of all of those books burning, she hurried out of the library, running down the corridors, blindly turning this way and that in an attempt to escape. Argus Filch creeped her out, the way he always grinned evilly at the students. She suppressed a shudder. That's one person she'd never want to meet in a dark hallway.

She stopped several minutes later, deciding she must now be far enough from the library that even that creepy old man couldn't find her. Harriet looked around at her surroundings and was surprised to find herself in a dimly lit classroom. It was obviously unused, she thought, looking around at the desks and tables that had been pushed up against the walls. In fact, from the looks of the room, she didn't think anyone had used it in a long time. It was at that moment that movement from the corner of her eye had her turning. She gasped, finding herself face to face with a huge gilt mirror. Around the edge at the top of the mirror were the words "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi." Harriet scratched her head in confusion, committing the words to memory. She shifted her stance to better look into the mirror and gasped. Standing behind her in the mirror was a large group of people. She glanced behind her, but no one was visible. She looked back into the mirror, paying careful attention to the details of the people in the mirror. The woman who stood directly behind her had long red hair and bright green eyes that held a gentle smile. Next to the woman was a tall man with touseled dark-brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a pair of wire glasses very similar to Harry's and she suddenly realized she was looking at her parents. Tears crept down her cheeks as she reached out and touched the glass in longing. Uncle Toby was great, a caring but strict uncle, but she still missed not having her parents. She looked at the people behind James and Lily and began to notice details. Many of the women had red or brown hair and there were quite a few pairs of green eyes in the crowd. She saw several men with messy hair like her father's and even an old man with knobbly knees that resembled her own. What stunned her most though was to see amid the crowd of people standing behind her mother a young woman with long black hair who was wearing Slytherin school robes. The image in the mirror smiled sadly at her and waved. He wondered if this was her mother's wizarding ancestor as Uncle Toby had explained to her that muggle-born witches and wizards were believed to have been descended from squibs. It made her wonder which of the many relatives waving at her on her mother's side was the squib.

She sat, gazing into the mirror, oblivious to everything else. A hand upon her shoulder startled her out of her contemplation of the mirror and all its wonders. She looked up to find the Headmaster standing behind her, a concerned look in his twinkling blue eyes.

"So, young Harriet, everyone has been looking for you for hours and this is where you have been all this time?" His question was a gentle rebuke and she bowed her head.

"I didn't realize so much time had passed, sir. Do you know what this mirror does sir? I can see my entire family in it, extending back for generations." She asked, her voice full of awe.

"It is the mirror of Erised. If you turn the letters on the frame around, they read: 'I show not your face but your heart's desire.' It shows nothing real my dear girl, only that deepest longing in your heart, what you wish for most in all the world. Witches and Wizards have wasted their lives away staring into this mirror. I shall find it a new home and I beg you not to look for it again. It cannot bring you any benefit. Now come, Miss Weasley has been wondering what happened to you." He held out a hand, but Harriet rose, ignoring it, and followed him out in silent contemplation.


	7. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

A/N: Sorry my faithful readers for missing a week, in return I promise to post 2 chapters. Here is the next one.

Please, if you see any glaring grammar errors, please let me know so I can correct them.

-Cosmyk

Chapter 6:

"I can't believe I didn't think of it before," Herman said as he dropped a huge tome on the table in front of Harriet and Rhonda. It landed with a loud *THUNK*, causing Madam Pince to glare at them from across the room.  
>"I checked it out of the library before the break for a bit of light reading," he said.<p>

Rhonda goggled at him. "Light reading?" her voice was incredulous.

To his credit, Herman ignored the comment.

"It's all right here. 'Among his other accomplishments, Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone, an object that is said to be the source of the elixir of life which will make the drinker immortal," he read.

"So that's what the Dog is guarding," Harry whispered.

"That must be why Snape let the troll in the Dungeons on Halloween. He must have been limping because he tried to get past that Three-headed dog." Rhonda whispered back.

"I told you, I don't think it is Professor Snape, I think it must be Professor Quirrel who is after the stone. I told you the guy creeps me out." Harriet replied fiercely.

"Snape was jinxing your broom during the match. We saw him. He was staring straight at your broom and his lips were moving. Your broom didn't settle down until I set his robes on fire. Also, why would he have been bitten by that dog if he wasn't trying to steal the stone?" Herman asked, his brow furrowed in frustration. Harriet could tell he was convinced Snape was the guilty party.

"I wonder what Hagrid is up to?" Harriet mused, watching the big man attempting to slip out of the library with a large book behind his back.

Herman looked over at him and frowned. "He's probably trying to find information on some forbidden animal. I've heard whispers that he has a fondness for strange creatures.

As Hagrid moved past their table, he spoke up again. "Hey Hagrid, what do you have there?" He asked, gesturing at the book.

Startled, Hagrid dropped the book. A quick glance at the book revealed the title: Dragon Breeding for Pleasure & Profit by Bin Skalded.

Hagrid scooped up the book and hastily tucked it inside his mole-skin coat. "Er, I'm jus' checkin' it out fer a friend," he stammered. His gaze turned to Harriet. "I've bin meanin' to tell yuh, I knew yer parents, Harriet. If yuh ever want tuh come have tea wif me, I'd be happy ter tell yuh 'bout them." He glanced around the table, "yer friends are welcome tuh come to."

Harriet smiled up thoughtfully at him. "That's very thoughtful Hagrid, we'd love to. We'll be by this afternoon after classes if you aren't busy."

"Nope, not busy, see yuh then." Hagrid whispered. He hastily slipped out of the library, unnoticed by Madame Pince who was currently in the process of scolding a second-year Slytherin for damaging a book.

"Why did you agree to have tea with him?" Herman asked, puzzled.

"There are two reasons. First, he seems to be fascinated with magical creatures so he might know more about that dog, and second, it might be nice to hear someone else's point of view about my parents. The only person who's told me anything about them is Uncle Toby and he admits he might be a bit biased concerning my dad as they never got along very well." Harriet replied, frowning.

"I hope he's not thinking of breeding dragons," Rhonda whispered, "that's highly illegal."

"Well, if he is, we will just have to try and convince him it is a bad idea, he seems rather harmless, I know Neville Longbottom sometimes takes tea with him." Herman whispered.

The conversation slowly turned back to homework. Rhonda kept plying Herman with questions about the Herbology assignment she was working on. Harriet chewed on the feather of her quill as she thought about what to put in her potions essay. Finally, frustrated, she closed the book she was studying and stood up.

"What's wrong?" Rhonda asked.

"I can't concentrate right now," it was a half-truth, but she worried about telling them the real truth, "I think I'll go write to Uncle Toby. He should be back from his business trip now." She loaded her bag and slipped out of the library.

_** Dear Uncle Toby,**_

_**I hope you had a good business trip. School is fun, I am really learning a lot. I wish I could invite my friends over this summer, but I know your work schedule won't permit it. Did you get your Christmas present? My friends are worried that my potions professor is trying to kill me, but I don't think he is. He may be very strict and a bit biased towards the Slytherins – oh, that's one of the Hogwarts houses, by the way, but I don't think he means me any harm, he is a professor after all. My Defense teacher is a coward and rather creepy though. He wears a huge garlic-scented turban and stutters. We aren't really learning much in his class. Sometimes when I'm in his class or in the great hall my scar will start to hurt. I've gone to the nurse, but she thinks I am studying too hard. My friends and I are going to meet Mr. Hagrid for tea today. He is the grounds-keeper and really into animals. We want to ask him about a three-headed dog we encountered the other day. You would probably get a kick out of seeing one of those. The thing was huge, at least ten-feet tall. It looked almost like the picture of the Cerberus you showed me in that Greek Mythology book a couple of years ago. Anyway, I better go, potions class starts in a few minutes and Professor Snape will dock points if I am late.**_

_**Love, **_

_**Harriet**_

Harriet read over the letter carefully and satisfied with the way things were worded, she sealed the parchment, pressing the amulet she wore around her neck to it to seal it. Now her uncle would be the only person who could open the letter. She knew she wasn't supposed to be writing to him, but she felt he needed to know what was going on in the school.

Grabbing her book bag, she headed to the owlery to send her letter.

A/N: Because Hagrid wasn't the one to take her to Diagon Alley, Harriet hasn't become friends with him yet. Also, the amulet isn't a port-key or anything else like that. It has only one function, to make things untraceable. That is why she pressed it to the letter. If anyone is tracking her mail, they won't be able to find its destination or origin. It is also one of the reasons Dumbledore was unable to track her after she disappeared from Potter Cottage.


	8. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

A/N: Sorry my faithful readers for missing a week, in return I promise to post 2 chapters. Here is the second one.

Please, if you see any glaring grammar errors, please let me know so I can correct them.

By the way, a big thank you goes to my new Beta – breaniver for his suggestions and corrections.

-Cosmyk

Chapter 7:

Tea with Hagrid was unusual, especially the rock-cakes. Harriet shook her head politely when they were offered and sipped her tea. She made a face and when his back was turned, tending the cauldron, she discreetly poured it out the window. She felt uncomfortable in the presence of the huge man and decided she would make sure she had something else to do next time she was invited to tea. A rattling from the kettle disrupted her thoughts and she turned to stare at it curiously.

"What's in the kettle, Hagrid?" Rhonda asked, eyeing the black pot nervously.

Hagrid got excited. He pulled the kettle off the fire and reaching inside with mitted hands, pulled out a large black egg. Harriet backed herself against the wall. She didn't want to know what was inside such a large egg.

"Blimey, where did you get a dragon's egg?" Rhonda breathed.

"Dragons are illegal to have as pets Hagrid," Herman scolded.

"I won him off a feller down at the pub. He seemed right happy to get rid of it if ya know what ah mean," Hagrid explained, examining the egg. There was a sudden *CRACK* and the parts of the shell fell apart to reveal a small, spiny, yellowish colored dragonet.

It flopped over sideways on the table, its wet body unable to support itself yet. It looked up at Hagrid and gave a cheep.

"Look at 'im, he knows his mummy." Hagrid crooned at the tiny beast. It opened its mouth and a tiny finger of fire jetted out. Rhonda lept back, tripping over the footstool. She wobbled for a moment before regaining her balance.

"That's a Norwegian Ridge-back. I've seen them in Charlene's books before. They are very dangerous and highly illegal to own." Rhonda said, placing herself so the footstool was between her and the infant dragon.

"I'm going to call 'im Norbert." Hagrid said, completely ignoring Rhonda.

Herman leaned in closer, fascinated with the little creature. "What does he eat?"

Harriet inched towards the door, Rhonda mimicking her movements.

"According to this, he eats chicken blood and bone meal for the first few days before graduating to small rodents," Hagrid said, holding up the book he had swiped from the library.

Harriet turned the knob of the door. "Herman, we have to go, it is almost curfew. I don't want a detention. You know if Filch or the prefects find us out of the tower, we are going to be in trouble," she pleaded with her friend.

"Right," with a wistful look back at the baby dragon, Herman followed them out the door with a quick good-bye for Hagrid.

"Herman, that man is dangerous, you should stay away from him. He's going to get in big trouble if anyone finds out about that dragon," Harriet warned her friend as they hurried towards the castle.

"He doesn't mean any harm, Harry, besides, don't you think that dragon is cool?"

"No, it's dangerous," Rhonda backed Harry up, "dragons are class-A dangerous creatures and Hagrid lives in a wooden hut. He's going to burn the place down around him. Charlie warned me about how dangerous dragons can be and mum flips out every time she comes home with a new scar."

"Well, I'm going back to see it. Maybe I will even borrow that book on Dragons from Hagrid. Besides," Herman said, "we forgot to ask him about that dog."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Potty, Weasel and Granger." A sneering voice said from the side of the castle. Harriet turned her head. Just outside the doors of the castle Draco Malfoy was standing, flanked by his goons, Crabbe and Goyle. "Out a bit late aren't we? But then Gryffindors aren't known for their common sense." He sneered.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harriet snarled, her fear of Hagrid and the dragon shifting into anger at the nuisance in front of her.

"Why don't you just make me? Oh, I forgot, you are just a whimpy little girl. How you ever destroyed the Dark Lord, I can't imagine." Malfoy taunted, stalking closer to them.

Harriet drew her wand. "UNGUICULUS JELEXIO" she bellowed. Malfoy dropped his wand as his fingers began to droop. Crabbe and Goyle stepped in front of him, wands pointed at Harry and her friends. Suddenly the wands were tugged out of all their hands.

She heard a gasp from Rhonda before a deep voice said "Fighting in the halls is against school rules. I want to see all six of you in my office now." Professor Snape pocketed their wands and then turned to Malfoy. "FINITE INCANTATUM."

Harriet walked slowly toward the dungeons, her face burning with shame. She knew fighting in the halls was agains the rules, but Malfoy always made her so mad. It wasn't long before they all were standing before his desk, Gryffindors on one side and Slytherins on the other.

Professor Snape looked over at the Slytherins. "Five points will be deducted from each of you for being out of bounds after curfew. Get to your common room, now." He turned to the Gryffindors. "I am deducting ten points from each of you for being out of bounds after curfew and Miss Potter, I am deducting another fifty points from you for hexing a fellow student. I will see you tomorrow evening in the potions classroom for detention, now all three of you are to return to your dormitory immediately."

Harriet sniffled all the way up to the common room as Herman and Rhonda ranted about Professor Snape's unfairness.

"Ten points each! He only gave the Slytherins five." Herman fumed.

"You know he always favors the bloody Slytherins. Filthy snakes always stick together," Rhonda retorted.

"We shouldn't judge everyone just because of a few bad apples," Harriet reasoned, her voice very quiet.

"They are all just the same, after all, there isn't a witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin," Rhonda snarled, shooting Harriet an odd look.

"That's not true," Harriet replied. "Sirius Black, the notorious mass murderer was a Gryffindor."

"But, but, he's an exception. Everyone knows the whole Black family was into the dark arts. He probably tricked the sorting hat into putting him in Gryffindor," Rhonda retorted.

"Would you have hated me if the sorting hat had put me into Slytherin?" Harriet asked, curiously.

"That's – that's just beside the point." Rhonda excused.

Harriet sighed and shook her head. There was no getting through to Rhonda when she was like this.

They reached the common room without incident and Harriet followed Rhonda up to the girls dorm, still puffy eyed from her crying jag. She changed into her nightgown and washed her face before sinking down onto her bed, miserable. She remembered the look of disappointment she could see in her uncle's eyes as he deducted points and gave her detention. She knew she was supposed to be working on learning to control her temper, but she hadn't been practicing the control techniques he'd taught her. She'd gotten so caught up in work and hanging out with Rhonda and Herman that she'd forgotten his words to her from the summer.

_"It's important that you work on controlling your temper. When you are angry it is that much easier for your enemy to manipulate you, and your occlumency shields won't be as strong when you are angry. I want you to work on your occlumency and also on learning to clear your mind and not let what others say affect you so much. I also want you to stay out of trouble. Your father and his friends were always getting in trouble at Hogwarts. Though you are a lot like your mother, you seem to have your father's curiosity. It got him into trouble quite a bit."_

Rhonda's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry for snarling at you earlier, but that slimy git makes me so mad. Look at how he treats Neville."

Harriet sighed. "I accept your apology. Let's agree to disagree on the matter of Professor Snape, if you don't mind. Neville Longbottom may be a nice boy, but he is a walking disaster in potions class. I'm sure that's why Professor Snape is so hard on him."

Rhonda huffed, "well, I think you are completely wrong about Professor Snape. I still think he's trying to get his hands on that stone. Just be careful tomorrow in detention, promise me."

"Alright, I will be careful. Now I'm tired, goodnight." Harriet closed her curtains and turned over, burying her face in the pillow.


	9. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

A/N: Sorry my faithful readers for missing a week, in return I promise to post 2 chapters. Here is the second one.

Please, if you see any glaring grammar errors, please let me know so I can correct them.

By the way, a big thank you goes to my new Beta – breaniver for his suggestions and corrections.

-Cosmyk

Chapter 8:

"What were you thinking, hexing another student?" Severus Snape hissed at his ward as she scrubbed out cauldrons in the potion's classroom. He had made sure to muffle the doors so no one would be able to eavesdrop.

"I-I'm sorry, I let my temper control me. I am not proud of what I have done." She burst into tears, hiding her face in her hands. A gentle touch on her shoulder had her looking up, eyes red from crying.

"I don't scold you because I am angry or because I hate you, I just want you to be safe and if you let your fear or anger control you, you leave yourself open to influence by your enemies." His hand gently rubbed her back as she turned and sobbed into his robes.

"I was scared of that Hagrid and that dragon he's got. We went to have tea with him because we wanted to find out more about that three-headed dog and the Sorcerer's stone." She explained, all of her fears pouring out of her in her uncle's comforting embrace.

Severus swore. "Damn, I should have figured Hagrid would get something like that. Did he say where he got it?"

"Uh-huh, he said he won it off some guy at the pub. I assume he means the one in Hogsmeade," Harriet explained, drying her eyes.

Severus swore again, louder this time. "How did you find out about the Sorcerer's stone?"

Harriet explained about all of the things they had found out. "I tried to tell them that I didn't think you were trying to kill me, but they don't believe me."

"It's best they suspect me anyway. We can't have anyone figuring out where you live or you won't be safe. It will also protect my cover should Voldemort return. Be careful investigating that stone. I have a feeling Dumbledore only brought it here to test you. If you think it is in danger, let Professor McGonagall know right away. Stay away from Quirrel, I don't trust him. I've caught him trying to get past Fluffy several times," Severus instructed her.

"Fluffy?" Harriet giggled. "Who in their right mind would name a Cerebus Fluffy?"

Severus rolled his eyes, "who else but Hagrid of course. It is his pet. Speaking of pets, your friend Rhonda's sister works at a dragon preserve does she not?" At Harriet's nod, he continued, "Suggest she get ahold of her sister and have someone come get that dragon before someone gets seriously hurt. If you send me a letter letting me know when they will be here, I will see that they are escorted to and from Hagrid's Hut with no one the wiser." He looked at the watch normally concealed beneath the sleeve of his robes. "It is nearly curfew. You are dismissed from detention, go straight back to your dorm, no side trips." He gave her a final hug before removing the MUFFILATO from the door. "Now, Miss Potter, I expect you to head straight to your dorm. No more fighting in the halls." With that, he held open the door and she departed.

"How was detention?" Rhonda asked when she returned to the common room.

"Ugh. I hate scrubbing cauldrons. He doesn't even let you use magic to do it. We have to scrub them by hand like muggles do," Harriet collapsed into the cushy red chair beside where Rhonda and Herman were playing wizards chess; Rhonda, as usual, was winning.

"Eew, I hate scrubbing cauldrons. Mum has us do that too when she is really mad at us. Either that or de-gnoming the garden, not sure which is worse," Rhonda moaned in sympathy.

"De-gnoming the garden?" Herman asked curiously.

"Rhonda smiled at him, "I forgot you grew up in the muggle world. Gnomes are a garden pest, they destroy plants and make a general nuisance of themselves, so every so often we have to go out and hurl the gnomes out of the garden. They always come back again, but it takes a while."

"Odd. Personally, I'd rather wash dishes than do laundry. I swear if I have to wash another pair of mum's fancy knickers I'm gonna gag. When she's mad that's the chore I get. She knows how much I hate it." Herman glared at both girls as they started snickering at the look on his face.

"S-sorry, but the look on your face was so funny," Rhonda stammered, trying unsuccessfully to look contrite. Harriet nodded in agreement, afraid that if she opened her mouth again she would start laughing.

Herman rolled his eyes, "God, you girls giggle more than my sisters." He looked at Rhonda, "Shall we finish the game?"

Bored with watching them play, Harriet pulled her charms textbook out of her knapsack and began reading as the other two bent over the game.

It was two weeks before they received a reply from Rhonda's sister. The day before Easter, an owl arrived. Rhonda opened the letter and perused it. "She says her friends can be here on Tuesday. They will be at the Astronomy tower around midnight."

"But we will get in trouble if we are out that late," Harriet worried. She didn't want to get in trouble again.

"What about your invisibility cloak?"

"It won't cover us and the dragon too. You know Herman is going to be really disappointed when he finds out."

"Yeah, but it is for the best; that dragon is a menace," Rhonda sighed, brushing back a strand of orange hair that had fallen into her face.

Harriet thought for a moment. "Tell your friends I will meet them at the top of the astronomy tower. I will get Hagrid to put Norbert into a crate and help him carry it to the tower." She had no intention of being the one who helped him, but Rhonda didn't need to know that.

"I thought you didn't like Hagrid," Rhonda said.

"Not really, He's huge and scary and I worry about some of those creatures he keeps as pets," Harriet replied, rubbing her scar absently, "but how else are we to get that dragon out of here?"

"Maybe we can find another way," Rhonda suggested.

Harriet shook her head. "This way will be the best. Once that dragon is gone, we won't have to worry about it hurting anyone." Herman came into the room just then, a big bandage on his hand.

"What happened to you?" Rhonda asked, lifting her book bag off the chair beside her so he could sit down.

"That thrice-cursed dragon bit me." He whispered, looking around the mostly empty library. He leaned forward in a conspiratorial fashion. "Want to know something weird? I got to the hospital wing and Madam Pomphrey was talking to Professor Snape. He took one look at my hand which was really swollen and before I could say anything, he pulled a vial of purple liquid out of his robes and handed it to her. He said I'd need it. Madam Pomphrey asked me what I'd been bitten by, I told her it was a dog. I don't think she believed me. Whatever was in that potion Professor Snape gave her worked well though because my hand is all better now."

"You think he knows about that dragon?" Rhonda asked, worry evident in her tone.

"Maybe, I thought I saw Malfoy running back towards the castle the other day, but I don't know if he said anything. I would think if Professor Snape knew he'd have said something by now," Herman pulled books out of his bag with his un-bandaged hand.

"Perhaps he hopes to find out how to get around that three-headed dog." Harriet suggested, following her uncle's suggestion about not defending him.

"I don't think so. I got Hagrid talking and he says he told the gentleman in the pub all about the dog, Fluffy and that if you play music for him, he falls asleep," Herman explained, "I bet Snape was the person in the cloak who Hagrid won the dragon egg from."

"Fluffy?" Rhonda blurted out, incredulous, "Fluffy?" She and Harriet burst into loud giggles, bringing a glare and a harsh shushing sound from Madam Pomphrey.

Harriet clapped her hand over her mouth and blushed. "Oops, we need to be quieter in the library." They lowered their voices and under the pretext of studying, they filled him in on recent events.

Harriet slipped her invisibility cloak over her head. "Am I completely covered?" She whispered to Rhonda.

"Yes. Be careful, Harriet. Charlie's letter disappeared and Draco has been giving me weird looks, I think he may have found it. Keep your eyes out." Rhonda whispered back, glancing around the room to where Lavender and Pavarti lay sleeping.

Harriet tiptoed out of the room and silently exited through the slumbering portrait. It took almost fifteen minutes to reach the seventh floor and the portrait of the dancing trolls. Uncle Severus had instructed her to meet him there and half to midnight. She was surprised to find that where the portrait had been, there was now a door. Glancing around to make sure no one was near, she lowered the hood of her cloak. Harriet let out a quickly silenced shriek as the door opened and a large hand pulled her inside.

"Merlin's balls -" she swore, only to be cut off with a hiss.

"Don't swear, it is unbecoming of a well-brought-up young lady," her uncle scolded.

Harriet looked around the room in awe. It looked a lot like the Gryffindor common room but it was done up in cool blues and grays. She chose a soft gray armchair near the fireplace and sat down. She watched as Uncle Severus pulled out a set of Slytherin student robes and tapped the emblem on it twice. Harriet gasped as it became a Gryffindor logo. He looked over at her.

"I'm going to need your glasses and your tie. You are to stay here until I come back. This room is called the Room of Requirement. It will supply anything you need except food and drink. If you are hungry, call Teeny and she will bring you something to eat and drink. Oh, and I'll need your cloak too," he instructed, pulling out a vial of snot colored yellow potion. Uncapping it, he reached forward and pulled a single strand of black hair from her sleeve and dropped it in. The potion bubbled for a moment and then turned golden. He raised it to his lips and tossed it back, grimacing. "Ugh, that's nasty," he groaned.

Harriet watched in shock as his body began to twist and shrink. In moments she was staring wide-eyed at herself. "Uncle Severus?"

"Yes, Harriet, I'm still me. That potion you saw is called Poly-juice potion. It can turn someone into someone else for a short time." He stowed the vial in his pocket before reaching for the robes, tie and glasses. "How do I look?"

Harriet giggled. "Like me, well, except for the voice that is. I suggest not talking if you can avoid it," she teased. It was strange hearing her uncle's voice coming from a girl's body.

He shot her a mischevious grin that looked strange on her delicate features. Swirling the invisibility cloak over his shoulders, he opened the door, "Well, I'm off then, see you soon."

Harriet was absorbed in reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a muggle novel by Jules Verne, when he returned. She looked up at her uncle and giggled. "You know you are still wearing Gryffindor house robes, right?"

He shot her a dirty look before waving his hand over his clothes, turning them into his normal professor robes. Reaching into the pocket, he pulled out her glasses and handed them to her and then removed the Gryffindor tie, also passing it back to her.

"Remind me to take you shopping this summer. You need some more clothes, you are outgrowing these." He draped the invisibility cloak over the arm of her chair. "Now, you need to be careful heading back to the dorm. McGonagal caught a couple of Gryffindors out of bed and she's on a rampage."

"Right, I'll be careful." She pulled the cloak around her and disappeared, the door to the Room of Requirement silently opening and closing as she exited.


	10. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling. I will note which book it was taken from at the bottom of the chapter.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY WILL BE RATED M FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS. _

A/N: Yes, people we are starting to slip away from cannon from here on out. Some events will happen similarly, but many things will be different. Enjoy!

Thank you to everyone who is following or has favorited my story, you are all my favorite people.

Thank you also to my beta BreanIver for his dedication to this story. You can blame him for any really screwy ideas I decide to use. LOL

A/N: I am starting back to classes and may be slower on updating. I will try to get at least 1 chapter every 2 weeks, hopefully closer to 1 chapter per week. Also, we are almost done with this first book and we will be starting a new story for the second book and each book thereafter. Look for HLP2 – Slytherin's Secrets coming soon.

-Cosmyk

Chapter 9:

Harriet woke the next morning to find Rhonda in a foul mood. She was throwing her books into her bag and grumbling under her breath.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" Harriet asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She picked up her glasses and propped them on her nose, everything around her suddenly becoming clearer.

"McGonagall gave us detention last night."

"I thought you were in the dorm last night. What happened?" Harriet asked, concerned.

"Herman and I decided we were going to make sure no one caught you going to the tower last night, but Draco came along with Professor McGonagall after we'd only been there a few minutes. She gave us all detention tonight with Hagrid," Rhonda growled, pulling her bag over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hate to think what sort of detention he will set you to, probably mucking out Thestral stalls or something," Harriet sympathized, "and to have detention with Malfoy of all people, that's rotten luck."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Rhonda moaned, "and not only that, but that two feet of parchment on the properties of owl pellets in potion making due tomorrow and I'm only halfway done. Snape is going to kill me, and so is mum if I fail potions."

"Professor Snape," Harriet corrected absently.

Rhonda shot her a dirty look, "whatever." She pulled out her parchment and quills and opened her potions book.

Harriet sat down beside her. "Would you like some help? I won't do it for you but I'll help you with it." Rhonda smiled gratefully at her and the two were soon engrossed.

Harriet hurried down the hallway towards Gryffindor tower. Oliver Wood was obsessed with winning the Quidditch Cup, and had kept them out late practicing. She muttered about his ancestors under her breath as she hurried down the hall. She still had two feet of parchment due to McGonagall tomorrow on wand movements and color change in transfiguration and she had only completed eight inches of it. She rubbed at her throbbing scar and then stopped walking at the sound of a familiar voice coming from Professor Quirrel's office. She moved closer out of curiosity, heedless to the instincts warning her to flee.

"Send a letter to Dumbledore from the Ministry." The quiet, sibilant voice whispered. It was a voice from her nightmares, from her past. Harriet shuddered as the voice brought back horrific memories.

She had an image of a tall, red-eyed man with a wand standing before her crib in the nursery. Her mother was standing protectively between the man and the crib. _"Stand aside you silly girl...stand aside, now." _

She sank to her knees and grasped her forehead as pain screamed through her scar. The flashback continued, and she could see her mother standing in front of the bars of the crib.

"_Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead –"_

"_AVADA KEDAVRA" _a flash of green light flashed through her memories and she saw her mother throw herself in the path of the light and then collapse to the floor. She could hear a keening sound in the background, but didn't realize it was coming from her.

The voices stopped, but she didn't notice as the pain in her scar had grown more intense.

"Master, it's the Potter girl," she could hear Professor Quirrel's strangely un-stuttered voice coming from the doorway.

"Kill her. We can't leave any witnesses," the hissing voice she now recognized as Lord Voldemort's commanded.

"But master, Dumbledore will know what we have done and then we will never get the stone," Quirrel replied. Suddenly he shrieked in pain, clutching his head.

"Kill her. We will leave her in the Forbidden Forest. I can modify the oaf's memories to make him think he was the one who killed her. After what happened last time, nobody will believe different," Voldemort's voice instructed.

Harriet crabbed backwards, scrambling to her feet and turned to run.

"Yes, master," She saw Professor Quirrel raise his wand toward her, "AVADA –"

"EXPELLIARMUS," two voices bellowed at the same time. Harriet crashed into a hard body. A protective arm wrapped around her and she heard Professor Snape bellow "INCARCEROUS." The comforting scent of feline and peppermint engulfed her and she realized the arm wrapped protectively around her belonged to Professor McGonagall.

"Severus, we must get him to the headmaster," McGonagall turned, leading Harriet alongside her.

"P-professor McGonagall, I heard him talking to V-voldemort," Harriet's voice was low and laced with terror. She could feel her heart pounding near to exploding. Suddenly her tears burst forth and she buried her face in McGonagall's robes.

A scream cut off anything McGonagall would have said and all three turned to watch as Professor Quirrel sank to his knees, blood gushing from his nose. A black shadow emerged from his turban and flew through the open window with a loud wail. Harriet exhaled in relief as her scar, which had still felt as though it were in flames, suddenly stopped hurting.

A/N: I know this is a shorter chapter than most, but I wanted to focus primarily on the confrontation. The next chapter will be the last one of this story. If you want to read the next book in this story, be sure to follow me so you can receive updates when the new story is posted.

-Cosmyk


	11. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this story. _

_**Any print in italics is quoted directly from J.K. Rowling, or is memory/flashback.**_

_WARNING: THIS STORY IS RATED M FOR LANGUAGE. _

A/N: Yes, people we are starting to slip away from cannon from here on out. Some events will happen similarly, but many things will be different. Enjoy!

A/N: I am starting back to classes and may be slower on updating. I will try to get at least 1 chapter every 2 weeks, hopefully closer to 1 chapter per week. Also, THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER OF HLP. We will be starting a new story for the second book and each book thereafter. Look for _HLP2 – Slytherin's Secrets_ coming soon.

-Cosmyk

Chapter 10:

"If you are going to be here, you must be quiet."

Harriet could hear the quiet, firm voice of Madam Pomphrey. She opened her eyes and glanced around. She was once again lying in the infirmary. The curtains around her cot were closed but she could hear Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape talking quietly to the headmaster.

"Are you sure it was Voldemort?" Dumbledore's voice asked.

"Yes, it was stuck to the back of Quirrel's head all this time," McGonagall replied softly.

"Is the child alright?"

"Poppy says she will be fine," this time it was Snape's voice that answered. "I am hoping when she wakes up she will tell us why she was there in the first place."

"Quidditch practice ran late," Harriet spoke up.

The curtain slid open and the three adults stared down at her.

"How long have you been awake," Professor Snape questioned.

"Not long, sir. I had just heard that last question you asked and felt I should explain myself."

Professor Snape's expression became forbidding. "By all means, enlighten us."

"Well, sir, Wood kept us late at quidditch practice. I was behind on my potions essay and took a shortcut to Gryffindor tower. I didn't even realize I was near the defense classrooms until I heard Professor Quirrel's voice. He was arguing with someone, Voldemort I guess, about killing me. I didn't even realize I was moving closer to the door until I was there. My scar was hurting something fierce and I think I made a sound because they came out and started attacking me. I'm so glad you and Professor McGonagall showed up because they likely would have killed me…" she trailed off, reaching around on the table for her glasses.

Harriet put the glasses on her face and looked around the now clearly visible room. Madam Pomphrey was just coming out of her office. "Madam, may I have some water please?"

Voices outside the door ended any further conversation. Herman, Rhonda and several of their friends burst into the room.

"OUT," Madam Pomphrey screeched at them as she handed a goblet of water to Harriet, "this is a hospital, not the great hall. You may leave and return in groups of two. If you are quiet I will allow you to visit Miss Potter."

They hung their heads as they trooped out silently. Harriet watched the three teachers slip into Madam Pomphrey's office out of the corner of her eye. A moment later, Rhonda and Herman appeared in the doorway.

"Madam Pomphrey, may we visit Harriet?" Rhonda requested in a low voice.

"Yes, come in Miss Weasley. You may visit for fifteen minutes. If Miss Potter is not over-excited, she may leave the infirmary tomorrow."

Rhonda and Herman sat down in chairs, one on either side of the bed.

"Did you see all the gifts people sent you?" Rhonda asked, gazing around at all of the get-well gifts piled around the bed.

"Oh, Merlin," Harriet groaned, "Why do they do this?"

"Because you are 'The Girl Who Lived,'" Herman smirked.

Harriet groaned again, "well, I expect you to help me eat all of this candy," she looked around again. "Gods, I have no idea where I am going to put all of this."

They spent the rest of the visit going over what had happened. It didn't surprise Harriet that the entire school had learned what had happened. Before they realized it, Madam Pomphrey was ushering her friends out.

"You can see them again tomorrow at the end of the year feast if you rest now," the old nurse instructed.

Harriet was overwhelmed by the volume of voices as she opened the door to the great hall. The noise trickled down to silence as people noticed her standing there. The room was awash in Blue and Bronze, signifying that for the first time in years, Ravenclaw had won the House Cup. Harriet winced as three of the four tables began to clap and cheer, the Slytherins quite obviously unimpressed. She hurried over to the Gryffindor table and sat down across from Herman and Rhonda.

Rhonda immediately hugged her. "Harriet, I'm so glad you are better. I swear if I had to listen to Lavender and Pavarti going on about whether you were going to live or die, I think I would have smothered the both of them in their sleep," she shot a glare toward the end of the table where the two offenders sat chattering with Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas.

Harriet giggled, "the certainly gossip a lot don't they?"

"I doubt there is a secret in this entire school that the two of them don't know," Herman put in, piling pancakes on his plate and dousing them with a liberal amount of chocolate syrup.

Harriet glanced at his plate and shuddered. She delicately stacked three pancakes on her plate and topped them with strawberry compote and a strong dose of whipped cream.

"You are probably right," Rhonda replied, stabbing a sausage with her fork.

The rest of the conversation was cut off as Dumbledore stood and tapped the side of his goblet with a knife.

_"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were. . .you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts. . . .Now as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus: _In fourth place, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and forty-six points; in third, Gryffindor, with three hundred and seventy-two; Slytherin has four hundred and twenty-two and Ravenclaw with four hundred and ninety-five."

There was a lot of clapping and cat-calls from the Ravenclaw table and several boos from the Slytherin table. Harriet could see Draco Malfoy and his goons making obscene gestures toward the Ravenclaw table.

_"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes… _First—to Miss Rhonda Weasley for cool use of logic when other's lives were endangered, I award Gryffindor fifteen points."

Rhonda blushed a shade of purple that had her looking _like a radish with a sunburn_.

Second—to Mr. Herman Granger for exemplary academic and research skills, I award Gryffindor fifteen points."

Herman smiled proudly as Gryffindor table clapped. Gryffindors all around them were ecstatic—they were thirty points up.

Third—to Miss Harriet Potter…" Harriet blushed as the room fell silent. "_...for pure nerve and outstanding courage_ in the face of almost certain death, I award Gryffindor House twenty points."

Cheers broke out at Gryffindor table and Fredrica and Georgia began chanting "We are tied with Slytherin, we are tied with Slytherin…" Harriet could see speculation in the faces of many of the students from other houses. She imagined there was quite a bit of whispering going on.

In all the excitement, Harriet nearly forgot about exam marks. She saw the look of surprise on Herman's face when he saw her exam marks.

"My uncle insists that I keep my grades exemplary," she explained before he could question her. She changed the subject, "how did you two do?"

"I did well," Herman said modestly, holding up a paper that was all 'Outstandings.'

"I did okay," Rhonda said, frowning down at her paper. "I got E's or A's in everything except History of Magic."

"That's alright," Herman said, "few people can focus on the topic when Professor Binns drones on incessantly."

"Yeah, next year, read ahead and take notes on each chapter before you come to class, then even if you fall asleep in class, you aren't missing anything," Harriet suggested as she hefted her trunk and Hedwig's cage onto a trolley to be taken to the train..

"I'm going to miss you two over the summer," she whispered, tearing up.

"Me too, I promise to try and write to you every day," Rhonda hugged her.

"I'll write too. Perhaps our parents will let us get together over the summer?" Herman suggested.

"Mine won't mind, mum loves company," Rhonda replied.

Harriet scuffed the toe of her trainer on the floor. "Uncle Toby travels a lot. I don't know if he will let me visit, but I will ask. If not, I will see of Cousin Andy will let me come when I go to stay with her."

"Your uncle sounds really strict," Rhonda moaned.

"Uncle Toby? He's okay. He's just worried that I'm going to get hurt or kidnapped or something. Besides, his job keeps him really busy over the summer. I'll ask him anyway. Maybe he will let me stay at your house when he is out of town if it is alright with your mum," Harriet suggested to Rhonda.

Rhonda brightened, "I'll be sure to ask mum as soon as we reach the platform. Is your uncle going to be there to pick you up?"

"No, he's still going to be at work when we get in. My cousin Dora is picking me up. Come on, let's see if we can get a carriage together," she rushed outside, eager to avoid any more questions about her uncle.

A/N: Here ends book 1 of HLP. I hope you enjoyed it. Please stay tuned for HLP2: Slytherin's Secrets. I hope the first chapter will be up in the next week or so.

Also, anything in Italics in this chapter is a direct quote form Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling.

-Cosmyk


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